▲ Visitors receive a coronavirus test at a temporary screening center set up at a health community center in the central Seoul ward of Yongsan on Jan. 24, 2021. (Yonhap)
▲ Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun holds a government virus response meeting at the government complex in Seoul on Jan. 24, 2021. (Yonhap)

coronavirus-pet

First case of pet with COVID-19 confirmed in S. Korea: PM

SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Yonhap) -- A pet has tested positive for the new coronavirus in the first such case reported in South Korea, the prime minister said Sunday.

"During a recent tracking process involving a mass outbreak, health authorities found that a pet has tested positive for COVID-19 in the first such case," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said in a government response meeting held at the Seoul government complex.

Chung urged health authorities to look into the possibility of transmissions between humankind and animals and to transparently share the findings for people who live with pets or are often exposed to them.

He also asked the farm ministry to consult with health authorities to prepare guidelines for pet owners.

While cases of pets getting the infectious virus through their owners have been reported in places like Japan, Hong Kong and Brazil, no such case had been confirmed in South Korea.

South Korea on Sunday reported 392 more COVID-19 cases, including 369 locally transmitted infections, raising the total caseload to 75,084, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

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